Since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon on Sep. 11, 2001, huge sums of money have been spent to deter similar terrorist attacks on power plants, large buildings, Government buildings and monuments and other sensitive objects. Steps to deter further attacks have included careful screening of passengers and luggage before boarding an airplane or ship, use of barricades to prevent motor vehicles from getting too close to sensitive locations, and placement of military and local police officers at airports and other sensitive locations to provide additional security. It is understood that for a time, fighter jets were constantly in the air in the United States, prepared to shoot down any airliner or other airplane that violated “no entry zones” around sensitive locations.
However, no matter how tight the security, there is always a danger that a person with security clearance will become a terrorist or that a terrorist will penetrate the increased security with an explosive device or with a weapon that would enable the terrorist to hijack a vehicle such as an airplane, a truck, a trailer/cargo container or a ship and use the vehicle itself as a weapon.
Further need therefor exists for an inexpensive system that can protect power plants, buildings, national monuments and other objects from intentional or accidental collisions and close approaches by vehicles that might damage the protected objects. Protection of the vehicle itself as well as the people on board the vehicle is also important. Such a system should minimize the risk of injury to innocent passengers in the vehicle while providing reliable protection to both the vehicle and protected objects.